"Heaven, Hell and the DeadCenter."

Chapter 9

"The only way."

Kakashi didn't stop running till he was sure, he couldn't see the village gates behind him.

His breath was labored and his legs felt like jelly, as he leaned over a tree for support.

The diseased Copy ninja felt tears make their way into his eyelids as he thought back to the scene he witnessed before.

God, what a mess his death has caused.

Naruto's reaction wasn't supposed to look like this. Sure, Kakashi was expecting the young blond to get angry and accidentally release the Kyuubi, like when Gaara died. But for his loyal student to openly deny the truth about his condition, with solid evidence presented before him, was not something he thought the Uzumaki heir would do.

Yes, he also included the fact that he was one of the closest things the jinchuriki had to a father figure, but even when Jiraya died at the hands of Pain, Naruto didn't deny him being dead.

And his body was never recovered from the battlefield.

During the grieving time that followed, the boy sulked but got over it and continued to fulfilling his dream, believing that was what the perverted sanin wanted him to do in his honor.

Even when he himself had died from chakra exhaustion after battling Pain and Naruto found out about it thanks to Tsunade, the boy didn't react like that. But that might have been because the boy had more important things to do instead of grieving.

Taking a few more deep breaths and running a calming hand through his hair, Kakashi wondered how on earth he was going to fix this mess.

He's clearly only visible to his fellow Shinigami, which in this case is only Kubuuro, and along his run he managed to 'walk' through a couple of trees and large rocks, so that counts out the possibility of writing in the sand with a stick as well.

"There you are, Kashi!" A familiar voice yelled happily from behind him. "Why did you run of like that? It was just a brat going through the 'five stages of grief', he'll get over it." Ignoring the strange silence and the angry tension in the Copy Ninja's body, the orange ninja rambled on. "Listen, if you want this job to be at least bearable, you need to get used to this sight, bro. Because it happens a lot during the aftermath of what Death hired us to do." He then placed a hand on the silver haired ninja's shoulder in what he thought is a comforting way. "It's the circle of life, bro and quicker you begin to 'not-give-a-damn' like the rest of us, the better."

Before those words could fully leave his mouth, the fox look-alike was grabbed by the neck by a furious Sharingan Kakashi and lifted upwards so that his feet can't touch the ground.

"For your information, Kubuuro." The voice that sounded from behind the mask was cold, low and livid, reflecting the Copy ninja's present feelings with precise accuracy. "That boy you just so happen to call brat, was the closest thing I ever had to a son." He growled through clinched teeth, as he tightened his grip around the other ninja's neck. "The last thing I want, is to see him in pain after everything the poor boy has gone through to achieve acceptance from his own village." The dark eye narrows beneath the silver hair. "This was clearly not my time yet and, if memory serves, the reason I'm dead and buried is because you talked me into committing suicide." The Copy Ninja enjoyed feeling the man struggle to breathe beneath his fingers. "Now, since you are the main reason everything went wrong, I am going to enjoy ripping your guts out of your stomach and forcing them back through your throat. And, because you are already dead, I'm going to continue doing so until I feel better about the whole situation." He pulled his left hand back, positioning it like a sharp blade in similar fashion to when he performed his infamous raikiri, and was about to strike…before Kubuuro placed his own hands up in a gesture of surrender.

After chocking for a few minutes, the orange ninja smiled. "Hey don't go putting all the blame on me, pal. I only gave you a choice, it's not my fault you are more death hungry than a drowning cat. Now, before you tell me to shut up-"The fox look-alike said seeing the look on the Copy Ninja's face. "I just want to tell you, there is a way for you to make physical contact with the brat and basically the whole 'living' population. Just so you know."

Kakashi wasn't expecting that. "What?"

But Kubuuro looked uninterested. "Are you going to do the whole 'ripping-my-guts-out-of-my-stomach-and stuffing-them-back-through-my-throat' thing?" He asked, his voice bored. "Because my schedule is pretty busy and Death dosen't like it when I get lazy with my work." The ninja smiled cheerfully. "It's now or never, Kashi-boy."

The Copy Nin grabbed the orange man by the neck with both hands and began to shake him violently.

"Forget about my threats." He growled much like the summons he used to have, back when he was still breathing. "You said there was a way for me to communicate with Naruto." He moved the captive ninja so that their faces were inches apart. "Now spill the beans, hotshot before I actually do go through with my threats."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa don't get to ahead of yourself, big guy." Kubuuro laughed. "I only told to you that there is a way to attain a physical form." He had a smug smile on his face the entire time he was talking. "I never said anything about showing you how to do it." The smile only widened at the angry look he received. "It's called 'classified information' for a reason, you know."

The Sharingan Warrior's legendary patience was wearing thin.

"Cut the crap, Kubuuro." He growled. "I'm not in a mood for games."

"Awe but games are fun!" The orange clad ninja whined like a little child. "Besides, I don't think you'd like the method very much. So why go through all the trouble of obtaining the info, if you won't do it anyway?"

"Let me worry about things I like and don't like, fox-face." Kakashi hissed. "Right now I'll do anything to rid Naruto of the pain I caused him by foolishly accepting your offer." He paused for a minute. "Even if it meant losing everything that makes me human, I'd still do it."

"Funny you should mention that." Kubuuro whispered after a minute of silence. "Because that's exactly what's going to happen to you, were you to take that chance." Feeling the man flinch, the Shinigami smiled wider.

"So tell me, Kashi." He whispered, looking straight into the Copy Ninja's gray eyes. "Are you ready to become the one thing the boy you cherish so much, hates?"

The grip on his neck loosened and the Copy Ninja didn't answer.

"Are you ready to become a demon?"